A Fledgling Spark Finds the Brush UPDATED!
by Khaaan
Summary: In 200 AD, a mighty conqueror fell before his time. What if things had been different for the Little Conqueror of Jiang Dong, Sun Ce? References history as well as game canon. Chapter 2 is now up! Sun Ce attacks Hefei. Can he defeat the great Zhang Liao?
1. Chapter 1

A FLEDGLING SPARK FINDS ITS BRUSH 

_Background:_

_Sun Ce died in 200 while his wife, Da Qiao, was pregnant with a son and daughter. This story is about what could have been and the mysterious journey that Sun Ce finds himself on after clinging to life for fifteen years after the fact..._

* * *

A spark that had the potential to become the brightest fire in the land, extinguished before it had even jumped to the brush.

Sun Ce knew he was that spark as he lay on the ground, bleeding profusely. The assassins had struck with arrows - a lot of them. He had fought hard, and in the end, the men that had ambushed him during a routine hunting trip had been slain. But the damage had been done: an arrow was embedded in the left part of Sun Ce's jaw. Deep wounds ran down his body. He could feel himself slipping into the void from which there was no return.

As the darkness began to consume him, the last thing he saw was a silhouette hovering above him, the sun shining through the branches of the trees around him.

And then, he opened his eyes.

Gone was the forest. Gone was the arrow in Sun Ce's cheek. In its place was a dull ache. The forest about him had instantly turned into his own bedroom. The hard ground beneath him turned into his familiar bed, and the howling of the wind turned to the crackling of a small fire. He looked and saw himself dressed in white robes, covered in blankets. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes, the room coming into focus slowly.

The room was dimly lit by a single torch on the wall. At a desk facing the wall, a young woman no older than in her teens was cleaning, probably a maid. Sun Ce tried to speak, but all he managed was a hoarse groan. It was enough - the girl was startled, and she turned around in surprise. Then, she cried out the word that he had never expected her to say.

"DADDY!!!"

The door flew open, and a thin, handsome young man in a red outfit and hat rushed in. He had a youthful face and honest eyes. "Xiangfeng!" he said, his voice thick with concern. "What's--" Then, the young man's gaze came to rest on Sun Ce. Immediately, the young man dropped down to all fours in respect, lowering his head and not lifting his gaze from the floor.

"Daddy!" the girl cried, throwing her arms around Sun Ce's neck and burying her head into his shoulder. "You're awake! You're finally awake!

* * *

"Are you certain?"

Sun Quan had been standing on the balcony to his room, watching the night sky when the messenger arrived.

"Yes, my lord."

"After all these years..." Quan whispered to himself, closing his eyes. Tears streamed from his eyes. "Brother... I knew you would awaken one day."

Quan quickly made his way to the door and left the messenger. In the hallway, his sister was already waiting for him, an anxious look in her eyes.

"Is it true?" she asked. Quan kept walking, and she quickly kept pace.

"Yes, Shang Xiang," he said. "He awoke this morning. Xiangfeng and Boyan both saw him with their own eyes."

"After all this time--!" Shang Xiang blurted out. "It's been fifteen years!"

Quan grunted in agreement. His mind was racing. At that moment, Cao Cao and Liu Bei had ceased to exist in his mind. The only thing that was important now was seeing his brother.

* * *

Ce watched the young girl - the daughter he never knew - pour tea into the cup on the nightstand by his bed. She brought the cup over to him, holding it in both hands. Looking at her face, he saw the girl's mother's eyes.

"You've missed a lot, Daddy," she said quietly. "Boyan -- Lu Xun -- and I are married. He's such a great man, Daddy. Just... just like you."

Ce took the cup and took a sip. The tea was scalding hot, but at least the liquid was able to soothe his raspy throat.

"D-Da..." he managed to speak.

Xiangfeng looked around, her eyebrows furrowing upward.

"Uncle and Aunt are coming to see you, Daddy. They'll be here any minute now. They have a lot to tell you. And Daddy..."

Ce strained to sit up, putting the tea back on the nightstand. He gave Xiangfeng a meaningful look, letting her know he was ready.

"Brother-- I mean, your son's here to see you, too."

Ce's heart skipped a beat, and in walked a young man, no older than Xiangfeng. He wore a suit of armor that reminded Ce of his own father's, though there were many differences. The boy's eyes looked older than his years, and immediately, Ce knew that, as hard as his own childhood had been, this boy's had been even harder.

"F-Father," the boy stammered before falling to his knees by Ce's side. "It's me, Father. Shao."

"Shao..." Ce managed to gasp, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "M-my son." He patted Shao on the shoulder weakly, but it was a gesture that the boy took to heart, clasping Ce's hand in his own.

"Here, Daddy," Xiangfeng said, handing the cup back to him. "Drink some more."

Ce slowly took a few more slips of the tea. It had cooled somewhat, and now it did a much better job of soothing his throat.

"Thanks," he said to his daughter, who bowed quickly in acknowledgement.

A maid - a real one, this time - entered the room. "Lord Sun... your brother and sister have arrived."

"Send them in," Ce responded, relieved to finally be speaking coherently. The relief was shared by his two children as well. The maid nodded in acknowledgement and left, and as she did so, Shao and Xiangfeng both moved to stand by the wall. Lu Xun - the young man in the red outfit - ducked his head in, and Xiangfeng nodded to him, at which point he entered the room and took his place next to her.

Then, Quan and Shang Xiang entered, the tears welling in their eyes.

* * *

"Fifteen years," Sun Ce said, closing his eyes. "How could I have slept for fifteen years?"

"You were injured really bad," Shang Xiang said, her hand on his shoulder. "We were thankful that you were still alive."

"Xiangfeng has been feeding you for the past five years," Quan responded. "Wu has prospered in the meantime, Brother. We are preparing to do war with Cao Cao once more."

"Five years," Sun Ce said. Instantly, Quan grew tense, and the mood in the room became a lot less celebratory. "What about... before that?"

"Mother cared for you," Shao said quietly.

"I want to see Da," Ce demanded. "I want to see my wife."

"Brother..." Shang Xiang said quietly. Quan put his hand in front of her to stop her, but she pushed it away, shaking her head. "Brother... Da's gone."

"...No..." Ce groaned. He threw his blanket off and got up off the bed, resisting his sister and brother's attempts to keep him down. His voice grew more rageful by the second. "No. That... that's impossible... Where's Gongjin? I want to talk to him, right now!" He looked at Shang Xiang again, and she could only close her eyes and shake her head.

With that, Ce got to his feet. The weakness in his legs overpowered him quickly, and he was only able to limp a few feet from out of his room before falling down to his knees. Tears streamed freely from his eyes and he beat the ground in rage.

"**NO!!!**"

* * *

Ce stood in front of the lonely gravestone, holding a cane. Behind him, his family - Quan, Shangxiang, Xiangfeng, Shao, his sister-in-law Xiao Qiao, and Sun Shao, an adopted relative - stood, watching him. The gravestone read: 

"Da Qiao. A loving wife, sister, and mother. Stayed with her husband until illness took her."

A small distance to the left from the gravestone were two more.

_"Zhou Gongjin, named Yu. Wu is forever indebted to his bravery"  
"Taishi Ziyi, named Ci. Honored General Sun Bofu even to his death."_

Even more lined the area. Ce was surrounded by the graves of some of his closest friends and family.

_"Cheng Demou, named Pu. Fought for the Sun with his very best"  
"Huang Gongfu, named Gai. Would readily have sacrificed all for Wu"  
"Sun Shubi, named Yi. Killed before his time."_

Tears flew freely down his cheeks. All of them had died honoring his memory, and he hadn't even been awake to say good-bye. And as painful as the absence of Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci were, seeing indesputable proof that he would never see the love of his life again tore his heart to pieces.

"She stayed with you the whole time," Xiao said, now by his side with a soft smile on her face. She was older - still as beautiful as ever, but a bit taller and a lot wiser. Zhou Yu's death had evidently taken its toll on her, but she was a strong woman. As immature as she had been at times, Ce had always known that she had a strong heart. It took one to overcome the death of not only a sister she loved dearly, but also a husband who had meant more than the world itself to her.

"I know," Ce replied as Xiao gently put her arms around him and hugged him. "...I know."

As he returned the embrace, his mind still dwelled on the scrifice these men and women had made on his behalf.

* * *

"My lord, you are still weakened!" Lu Meng cried out, following Sun Ce, now dressed in his battle attire, through the hall. Ce was moving quickly - no small task considering how long he had been laying down - but nothing was going to stop him. 

"He's right!" Zhang Zhao admonished, his own elderly body doing an even better job of keeping up than Lu Meng. "For fifteen years we guarded your health closely! You can't throw it away on an impulse!"

"No," Ce responded. "I have to do this. I will destroy Cao Cao myself... not for me, but for everybody who died. For my father, for my brothers, for Masters Cheng and Huang, for Ziyi, for Gongjin, for Da..."

Ce pushed open the door leading outside. His troops were assembled, and Lu Xun stood at the side, bowing.

"...And for all of us!" Ce finished loudly, raising his fist into the air. The soldiers rose their weapons and shouted in response.

The soldiers began tapping the ends of their spears on the ground as Ce walked in front of them. His officers fell in behind him - Lu Meng, who had only been a capable but inexperienced major when Sun Ce had last seen him, and had now grown into an experienced, intelligent strategist as well. His son-in-law Lu Xun, who, despite having never even met Sun Ce before recently, had loyally fought in honor of his memory. Zhou Tai, as stalwart and quiet as ever. Ling Tong, who had grown incredibly since Sun Ce had seen him last. Gan Ning, a rough-looking man that Sun Ce had grown to like for his bravery and confidence. Shang Xiang and Quan were there as well, as were Jiang Qin, Han Dang... many old faces that Ce vividly remembered, as well as many new ones.

"I thank you all for the great work you've done," Ce called out, walking among the ranks of his soldiers. "Now, the final push. We will attack Cao Cao at Xuchang, destroy him, and unite this land in the name of Wu!"

"_TEN THOUSAND YEARS! TEN THOUSAND YEARS!_" the soldiers cried out in unison, raising their weapons. As they chanted, Ce made his way back up to the front of the formation and turned back to his soldiers.

"Our time's now!" Ce shouted, raising his fist once more. "Not for me, but for all of us!"

The cheer came like a mighty roar, and there were none within the city of Jianye who did not hear it. But it would soon be heard across the entire empire.

---TO BE CONTINUED---


	2. Chapter 2

"The Wu army is approaching!" the kneeling messenger stammered, a strong sense of urgency in his voice. "...Again!" 

"Coming back so soon?!?" Zhang Liao replied, incredulous. "We just defeated them a few months ago!"

"We have more troops now," Li Dian noted. "I don't see how we can fail."

"Is this some sort of ploy?" Yue Jin asked.

"Get the army in formation! Hurry!" Zhang Liao ordered. "We have precious little time!"

Quickly, the officers stationed at Hefei began to organize their army. Their morale was still high from the victory they had gained over Wu previously, and for that, Zhang Liao was extremely grateful. Momentum was a powerful factor in warfare, and Wu was just starting to build theirs back up, while Wei still had plenty.

As he mounted his horse, Zhang Liao squinted his eyes at the distant Wu banners. A soldier handed him his polearm as he held his horse's rein.

"Men of Wu!" Zhang Liao declared. "You should know full well what happens when you oppose Zhang Wenyuan!" And with that, Zhang Liao and his men charged.

That was when the rest of the Wu army showed up.

The banners were everywhere. They were advancing in a wide arc towards Hefei. If Zhang Liao had to guess, he would've figured an army size of a hundred thousand or more.

"How can they have this many troops?!?" Li Dian cried out, exasperated.

"Their numbers aren't important! We've already proven that!" Zhang Liao snapped back.

"Right," Yue Jin said with a nod. "Let's go!"

Zhang Liao surged forward along with his troops, aiming straight for Sun Quan's banner. He knew that Sun Quan would likely try something different - the man may have been an insufferable rat, but he was no idiot.

Then, much to his surprise, a lone horseman charged out of the Wu formation and headed right for Zhang Liao.

"Hmmmmph," Zhang Liao dismissed as he chaged his target towards the foolhardy individual. "Alright then, have at you! Zhang Wenyuan shall take your head!"

Then, the Wu warrior who had rode out to oppose him stood up on his saddle, and it was only then that Zhang Liao saw who it was.

"It can't be!" he gasped, maintaining his pace despite his shock. "You're dead!"

"Surprise!" Sun Ce shouted, leaping from his horse at Zhang Liao. The long missing Wu leader had bravery... Zhang Liao had to give him that. But he had just made a very fatal mistake.

"Hyaaaah!" Zhang Liao swiped at the figure with a lightning fast strike, and he saw Sun Ce disappear from the air. His horse slid to a halt, and Zhang Liao brought it about, confused. Sun Ce was nowhere to be found! But then, Zhang Liao saw him - many yards away, back on his horse, holding something in his hand.

"Got your hat!" Sun Ce called out mockingly, holding up Zhang Liao's light blue cap. Zhang Liao's jaw dropped.

"How-- Hmmph! Unforgivable!" Zhang Liao declared, spurring his horse forward once more. He was too angry to be embarassed at this point - and that had been what Sun Ce was counting on.

"Awww, you miss your hat, guy?" Sun Ce called out over his shoulder as Zhang Liao came upon him. "Alright! Here you go!"

Zhang Liao gnashed his teeth and rushed forward, his blade at the ready. Sun Ce casually tossed the blue hat behind his back, and Liao simply chose to ignore it. When he was through with Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror wouldn't have any need for hats.

Then, it hit him.

Right in the face.

Zhang Liao fell immediately of his horse and onto his back. The hat dropped to the mud with a loud thud, and a large rock rolled out of it. Liao felt blood trickle down his moustache and onto his lip, and the roarous cheer of the Wu troops was nearly deafening, and Sun Ce rode back to the Wu lines smugly.

"I could've done that," Gan Ning whispered to Ling Tong as the two watched from horseback.

"Then why didn't you?" Ling Tong responded with a smirk.

"Hey. ...Shut up."

Zhang Liao quickly got back onto his horse, thoroughly humiliated. Sun Ce had made a fool out of him, and Liao knew exactly how - he was far too distracted by his shock at first, and that led to his anger getting the best of him. It was a mistake Liao never made, and he was deeply ashamed for making it at this crucial moment. He had just squandered all of the morale his army had accumulated through the past victory at Hefei... What army could keep their morale after seeing their most fearsome commander humiliated by a man who's been dead for fifteen years?

"Fall back into the castle," Zhang Liao muttered to Yue Jin and Li Dian as he rode past them. Both men said nothing - although the debacle that had just taken place was an embarassment, the battle was far from over.

The Wei army retreated into the fortress and closed the gates tight. Wu put up camps some ten miles from the fortress itself, not daring to begin the siege immediately after such a long march. But the mood in the Wu camp was much different than that of the Wei troops that night.

"That's so typical of you, Brother!" Shang Xiang laughed as the wine was passed around the campfire. "Showing off like that!"

"It's a good thing we did that sparring," Ce said as he rubbed at his leg. "I'm still sore. I think I pulled something."

"A stunt like that might distract them momentarily, but it won't win us the battle," Lu Meng reminded them. He hated playing the role of the "buzz kill," but this was a serious moment.

"You're right," Ce said with a nod. "It's gonna be hard work from here on out. I just needed to show the troops that I'm still the same Little Conqueror. I feel old right now."

"You ARE old," Shang Xiang mocked, playfully punching her elder brother in the shoulder.

"That mean I'm old too?!?" Gan Ning asked with a smirk.

"Yep," Shang Xiang said with a smile.

"Well then, this guy's DEFINITELY old," Gan Ning said, throwing an arm around Lu Meng.

"I'm still young!" Meng protested, pushing Ning's arm off of his shoulder.

Ce and Quan smiled at one another. Through everything that had happened to them, they had stayed as close as ever. And this moment was a precious one - because, come sunrise, there would be bloodshed.

The messengers arrived at Cao Cao's court in just a few short days. Cao Cao had been planning an invasion of his own against Wu at Ruxu Kou, but it appeared that something would be distracting him now.

"The Wu army has attacked Hefei with an even larger army than last time," the messenger stated, down on one knee and hands clasped in front of him.

"Let me see that message," Cao Cao said suspiciously, holding his hand out. The soldier nodded and obliged, bowing his head as he handed Cao Cao the paper scroll.

_The dead are walking in Wu.  
The wolf-cub Sun Ce lives yet and is besieging Hefei as we speak.  
If we do not receive reinforcements, the city will fall._

_Zhang Liao_

"Preposterous!" Cao Cao exclaimed. "Even if Sun Tzu himself lived, he would not be able to stop my ambition! We will march at once!"

The battle of Hefei raged on for many days without any clear advantage. Zhang Liao commanded the troops from the ramparts, firing volley after volley and dropping boulder after boulder into the Wu masses, preventing any of the siege ladders from going up.

"We have supplies enough to last us at least a few months," Yue Jin reported. "Lord Cao will arrive soon. I don't think the battle will go badly from here on out."

Zhang Liao could only nod. He still held in his hand the rock that Sun Ce had used to trick him - the rock that had cost Wei a quick and decisive victory. He clenched it in his hand and gnashed his teeth before throwing it over the rampart at the Wu troops. "Hyaaaah!!!"

Li Dian cleared his throat, not wanting to make Liao any angrier. "...Yes, yes! You hit one with that!"

Zhang Liao snarled, turned around, and headed for the steps down to the city proper. "I will see to the other side of the castle."

Sun Ce looked up at the night sky. The full moon and the stars lit the sky above while warm torchlight lit the ground below. He was inwardly frustrated with the lack of progress. How long could they keep this up? How long could Wei hold out?

"We're not making any progress," Lu Xun noted from behind Ce. "If we don't hurry, then Cao Cao will arrive before too long."

"They're better than I thought," Ce said with a nod. "Boyan. Ziming. I leave the strategy to you."

"Understood," Lu Meng responded.

"I need to rest," Sun Ce said as he rose. "I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day."

"Rest well, my lord," Meng said with a bow. Sun Ce turned and left.

"Well," Meng said, sitting down and placing his hands on his lap. "I guess we'd better get started, Boyan." Xun nodded in response.

Ce entered his tent and removed his armor. He had done a smart thing by sparring with his sister before he left, otherwise he never would have made it past Zhang Liao. He didn't have as much energy as he had had before the attack in the forest, and the only reason he was able to pull off such a feat against Zhang Liao was because of the surprise factor. That advantage was used up, now, and to top it all off, Sun Ce had a feeling that soon, the Wei army would realize that the Wu army wasn't nearly as large as it looked...

Ce stripped down to his bedclothes and climbed into his sleeping sack. Despite the brave front he put on for his generals, his heart was still wrenched at with the regret of not even being there for Da when their children were born, and especially for not being there to say goodbye.

Tired, weary, and sad, Sun Ce closed his tearful eyes, allowing sleep to overtake him. Then, suddenly a voice called out, and his eyes snapped awake.

"Lord Sun Ce..."

Sun Ce sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes.

"You are truly the greatest, my lord. Thank you for everything."

The voice was immediately familiar. Sun Ce looked around, wondering where the voice came from. He got up from his tent and opened the curtains to his tent. What he saw surprised him.

He was now in his bedroom. Bright, white light poured in through the windows. There, on the bed, he saw himself, laying unconscious as he had for fifteen years. Sitting by his side on a stool was his beloved Da Qiao, who was dutifully wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"Our children are growing so big, my lord," she said softly. "Master Zhou Tai is teaching Shao swordsmanship. He's gotten quite good at it, but I always worry about him hurting himself. He reminds me of you."

Da set the cloth in a bucket of water by her feet and got up, retrieving a bowl of rice from the nightstand. Suddenly, a cycle of day and night sped by in fast motion, and Ce could only stand helplessly as Da entered and left the room in a near infinite cycle until finally, it stopped on night once more. This time, however, Da was much weaker. Paler. Ce could see it in her face - the strain was now too much for her.

"M-my lord..." she said quietly, stroking his cheek. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be here when you wake up."

"Da!" he shouted, rushing over to his love. He tried to touch her, but his hand went right through her. "Da! It's me!" There was no response, and Da merely took the unconscious Ce's hand in hers and placed it on her cheek.

"Lord Sun Ce... I love... y..."

Then, the last of the strength that had kept her alive for the past ten years left her body, and she died right there. It was too much for Ce to bear, and he turned for the door. He tried to open it, but it would not budge. He pulled as hard as he could, but to no avail. He felt a chill on his neck and turned around... and then, he saw Yu Ji, standing right before him, staring at him with eyes glowing with fire.

Sun Ce snapped awake in his tent. It was still night, but now, he could not sleep at all.

"Cao Cao's army has arrived," the messenger reported to Sun Ce as he watched over the siege. "They will be here within an hour."

"I hope this works, Boyan," Sun Ce said, his arms folded over his chest. "We can't hold off Cao Cao and command a siege at the same time."

"I won't let you down, fa-- my lord!" Lu Xun responded, eager to prove his worth.

"You can call me Dad. I guess," Sun Ce said with a smile. Lu Xun nodded both nervously and excitedly. The two turned back to watching the tide of battle. Normally, Ce would have been up there fighting, but with so much on his mind, he knew he wouldn't be able to contribute. Worse, he'd probably get struck by an arrow and killed, and although he didn't mind dying for a cause, the morale loss the army would suffer from such an event would be tremendous. Ce turned towards his brother, who stood behind him, and nodded slowly.

It was then that Zhu Huan and Ding Feng, two Wu generals that were new arrivals since Ce had last ruled the kingdom, came to report.

"My lord! Preparations are complete!" Zhu Huan exclaimed, bowing his head.

"Alright! Give the order to withdraw!" Sun Ce ordered.

The Wu army began their retreat, the soldiers abandoning their siege machines outside of the city. Zhang Liao watched curiously from the ramparts.

"Hmmmmm... it appears their army wasn't half as large as we thought it was. Either that, or they've simply abandoned the fight altogether."

Zhang Liao turned to the soldiers. "I will lead a small force out to pursue, but I will not go too far. This enemy is cunning, and I sense a ploy."

"Lord Cao is arriving soon," Li Dian reminded him. "Don't be too hasty."

"I will strike fear into their hearts once more," Liao countered, mounting his horse. With a shout, he spurred his horse into action once more, charging out as the gates opened.

Lu Meng watched from the ranks of the retreating army as the gates opened. "It's working!" he exclaimed, a smile on his face.

Zhang Liao pursued with a few hundred men on horseback. They pressed forward, but suddenly, the ground gave way beneath their feet, revealing a twenty foot pit dug out of the earth. The dirt from the road had been put over top what was left from a few tents and strewn across the hole. In his haste, Zhang Liao and his men had fallen prey to the ploy.

"Brilliant!" Sun Quan declared as the army turned back around.

"Not bad," Zhou Tai agreed as he turned his horse around. "Not bad at all."

Sun Ce smiled at Lu Xun as the army turned back around. A rescue party was already charging out for Zhang Liao, but now that the Wu army was returning, the soldiers tried to hurriedly close the gates.

Zhang Liao had managed to climb from the pit with a handful of his soldiers, but the rest had perished, crushed by the weight of their own horses. He clutched his polearm in his hands, determination set upon his face. It would take more than that to kill him.

"What are you waiting for?!?" Zhang Liao shouted back to the troops guarding the city. "Charge out!"

Hastily, Li Dian and Yue Jin rode out, even as Cao Cao's banners became visible in the distance. The Wei army met the Wu army head-on, and Zhang Liao took to fighting on the front lines, swinging his polearm on foot. He cut down scores of soldiers, deftly blocking attacks left and right. The Wu army was not short of heroes of their own, however, and Gan Ning charged at Zhang Liao on foot.

"I think it's about time we settled this once and for all, Zhang Liao!" Gan Ning shouted, charging at Zhang Liao with his sword at the ready. Zhang Liao nodded and swiped at Gan Ning with his blade, which Gan Ning blocked before countering with a swing of his own, which was also deflected.

The roar of Cao Cao's troops approaching grew louder and louder. Sun Ce clenched his teeth and charged forward, pointing his tonfa forward. "No more time! We have to take Hefei, NOW!" The Wu troops redoubled their efforts and surged forward, pressing hard. The Wei troops pressed hard back, but the momentum began to shift towards Wu. Perhaps it was out of desperation, or perhaps it was out of inspiration from their leaders. Whatever the case, however, Zhang Liao too felt the brunt of Wu's attack, and his polearm went spiraling out of his hand with a well-placed kick from Gan Ning.

"I think it's time I put you down once and for all!" Ning said with a cocky smirk, stepping towards Zhang Liao with his sword at the ready. Suddenly, an arrow was let fly from behind Zhang Liao that struck Gan Ning dead center, and the pirate fell. Zhang Liao turned to see Li Dian holding the bow.

"Wu is entering the city," Li Dian shouted. "We failed."

"Reconnoiter with our Lord!" Zhang Liao demanded. "We can still retake the city!" He grabbed his polearm from the ground, leaving Gan Ning on the ground.

Then, Gan Ning got up and dusted himself off, pulling the arrow out from the slit of one of the bells he had happened to wear around his neck.

"Oh man, did I get lucky or what," he muttered to himself. "Next time, Zhang Liao, yer a dead man."

"That's what you get, stupid," Ling Tong said with a cocky smirk as he walked up from behind Gan. "Now come on. Let's report back to our lord."

"Yeah, yeah," Gan Ning scowled, picking up his sword. "Shut yer big, fat yap."

"They're withdrawing," Lu Xun said, puzzled as he watched the Wei forces disappear over the horizon from the ramparts of the newly conquered Hefei. "Why?"

"Liu Bei has taken advantage of the situation," Lu Meng noted. "He took control of Hanzhong and the surrounding areas, and reports are that he's breaking through Changan as well."

"I don't need Liu Bei's help," Sun Ce said from behind his two strategists, arms folded over his chest. His sudden interjection took both men by surprise, who promptly bowed.

"He is merely acting as a distraction to Cao Cao, my lord," Lu Meng explained. "This works to our advantage."

"We were robbed of our chance to defeat Cao Cao once and for all," Sun Ce countered.

"We still took Hefei," Lu Xun insisted. "This was a great victory."

"It was a lucky one," Sun Ce replied, walking to the ramparts and looking toward the night sky. "We didn't inflict heavy damage on the Wei army... not by a long shot. We took the city through trickery, and then the enemy withdrew without so much as a single volley. The real battle has yet to come."

"This failure was mine and mine alone."

Zhang Liao knelt on both knees in front of his lord, his hands tied. He had had himself tied in and sent to face punishment, and he was ready to accept the consequences of his loss. But Cao Cao was not willing to dole out a punishment.

"You did well, general," Cao Cao said as he rose from his seat and walked towards Zhang. "You held off a cunning opponent whom we all thought had perished long ago. I do not think I would have fared any better." And with that, Cao Cao personally untied Zhang Liao's ropes. Zhang lowered his head, averting his lord's gaze.

"I will not allow him to succeed again," Zhang promised as Cao Cao returned to his seat. "I will repay my lord's generosity."

"If not for your abilities, we would have lost Hefei much earlier," Cao Cao responded. "It was my own fault for not sending reinforcements quickly enough. Go and see to your army, Zhang Liao. They need a strong, capable leader like you."

Zhang Liao lowered his buttocks to his feet, bowed to his lord, and then rose, turning and leaving the assembly. His cape trailed behind him as he walked with a newfound purpose.

"We are in a dangerous position," the advisor Jia Xu stated from his place in the assembly. "Liu Bei is taking advantage of the situation and has advanced troops to Hanzhong. Sun Ce's army is still strong in the south."

"Does Liu Bei know that Sun Ce lives yet?" Cao Cao asked.

"We don't believe so," Sima Yi responded from Cao Cao's left. "We just found out ourselves, after all."

"Perhaps we can turn them against one another, Mengde!" Xiahou Dun offered.

"Yes, have one destroy the other and finish off the weakened victor," Sima Yi added, gesturing with his black feather fan. "We can't make peace with Liu Bei, so let's convince Sun Ce into an alliance for now."

"Sun Ce would be unable to say no to taking Jing province," Cao Cao said with a grin. "He's even more ambitious than that pup of a brother of his."

The plans were made. Yes, Sun Ce may have set Cao Cao back, but it wouldn't last. It was Cao Cao's destiny to rule this land, and it was Sun Ce and Liu Bei's destiny to be crushed under his feet...

_TO BE CONTINUED_


End file.
